Louise Olofsson
Associate Professor
PhD
My research focuses on the role of the gut microbiota in central energy balance regulation, neuroinflammation as well as in development of the central nervous system (CNS). Microbial products and microbially-produced metabolites can act as signaling molecules that have direct or indirect effects on the CNS. An increasing number of studies show that the gut microbiota can modulate important processes including neurogenesis, myelination, glial cell function, synaptic pruning and blood-brain barrier permeability. The goal of my research is to define the role of the gut microbiota in these processes, determine which signals are involved in the communication, as well as determine if there is a specific developmental window when the host-microbe interaction is crucial.